Items filtered by date: November 2007

David Henry Hwang, a small Asian American who wears a wide smile and a baggy suit, is not physically intimidating; but his newest play, Chinglish, reveals him as a towering and accomplished playwright well-versed in the conventions of film and theater, with a sharp wit and compassionate heart. Best known for his 1988 Tony-award winning M. Butterly, a comedy inspired by an American’s mistaken love affair with a Chinese woman who is actually a man, Hwang tackles a similar clash of cultures in the Goodman Theatre’s world premier of Chinglish, focusing not on gender, but on language.

Daniel Cavanaugh, a delightfully ignorant American businessman humorously played by the lanky, high-pitched James Waterston, arrives in the small town of Guiyang, China (only 3 million people) to offer his sign translating services to the government. His financial motives in travelling to China are far from the Orientalism of much of the twentieth century, which exoticized the “East” into an other-worldly wonderland. Now, China is a powerful market where business people come to capitalize.

In this world of business, cultures clash as Daniel must understand not only a different language but a different way of doing business with allegiances and responsibilities. Employed translators, with projected subtitles appearing above their heads, occasionally miss the mark completely, but also frequently reveal another character’s subtext. Mistranslating lends itself to humor, frustration, and poignant dramatic moments that speak to a frustrating inability to cross-communicate. When Daniel isn’t conducting business, he finds himself getting busy with a Chinese woman, powerfully played by Jennifer Lim. Devotion, marriage, and intimacy are explored as they are reflected through the prisms of American and Chinese ideals. Of course, hot passionate sex tends to transcends translation.

These romantic encounters take place on a dual rotating set facilitates, which lends a cinematic quality to the piece as characters travel through hotel lobbies to hotel rooms energized by the pulsing beats of contemporary Chinese pop music. Impressive at first, these twists and turns become a bit burdensome during the fifteen or sixteenth round-a-bout. Along with set twists are plot twists, perhaps one too many, that continue throughout the piece. Heavy plot means heavy dialogue, and moments of silence are rare. But when they do appear, we hear the understanding that can exists when we stop yelling and just exists with another.

Language, that mysterious way we communicate by making noises with our mouths and scribbling shapes on a sheet of paper, is a curious thing. Biological urges and cultural thoughts spontaneously arise in us, and we must translate them into words so we can share them with someone else. Translating between two different languages is, at some level, a blown-up version of the inherently human task of translating individual experience into a shareable, understanding social observation. Chinglish reminds us that perfect translations don’t exists for words between cultures, just as perfect translations don’t exists for experiences between people.

The only proper response to a Will Eno play is suicide. The existentialist, Brooklyn-based playwright enjoys holding a mirror up to his audiences so they can watch themselves slowly die. He is also very funny. The 46-year old, whose Thomas Pain (based on nothing) was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama back in 2005 has penned an equally engaging piece that explores life and death, humans and animals, space and time, and everything in between. Middletown, a darkly humorous play first produced at the Vineyard Theater in New York last November, is taking up residence at Steppenwolf as the last play of their season devoted to exploring public/private lives.

Two windows in two houses stand on opposite sides of a circular median where the residents revolve like planets around the sun, living humdrum lives that are simultaneously boring and profound. Mary Swanson, the newest Middletownian, lives in the left with her distant and never-seen husband; John Dodge, a graying lifer in the town, lives on the right. They meet in the middle, and their odd, hesitant friendship forms the central relationship of the piece. Facilitated by the Librarian (played regally by Artistic Director Martha Levy), their bond anchors of the show, as a Cop, Mechanic, and Astronaut wax philosophical about existence. The result is a powerful thought piece, poetically written and masterfully acted by some of the most talented performers in Chicago.

 The characters, despite divergent professions and stages of life, all speak as Eno. For that reason, Eno is at his strongest when his characters speak directly to us. From the first monologue which brilliantly invites and alienates each audience member to the speeches scattered throughout where characters welcome and warn us about their home, Eno’s poetic and tragic chunks of language are powerful. Michael Patrick Thorton, who plays the the mechanic philosopher in a wheelchair, provides the bulk of this deadpan that kills – with both laughter and true, biting pain. Tracy Letts, fresh off his groundbreaking and Broadway-bound performance as George in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, storms the stage as the weathered George. While Brenda Barie, the female lead, seemed a bit nervous at her Equity debut, no one can fault her while playing opposite the Tony Award winning playwright and performance.

Middletown isn’t just a staged suicide note, but a twisted love letter. While painfully aware of his characters’ and his own death, Eno celebrates these individual’s lives and the loose connections we make on our sojourn to the grave. His language walks the fine line between comedy and tragedy, suggesting everything worthwhile is in between. Don’t give your attention to the individual, but to the untouchable and empty middle that floats between us all.

"Hark,who goes yonder? Well speak up man, what is it?"

"News from the East sire, Mike Kincaide has returned to Buzznews.net!!!!"

I absolutely un-apologetically love hip hop. Always have. Its in my blood. Coming from the rough neighborhood of Englewood on the southside of Chicago, r&b soul music is the soundtrack to life in that area. Growing up its hip hop which dominated the culture and way of life in the community. All your friends listened to it, hustlers sold bootleg t-shirts and tapes, gangsters dressed the part...family and friends lived by it. Happy or sad, tv or radio, it was everywhere.You couldnt avoid hip hop no matter how hard you tried.

With all that said I immediately had a strong connection to Kanye West, another southside guy who grew up in the same areas, listened to the same music and radio, and dealth with the same struggles I did. He had a strong connection with soul music, talked aout places I'd been and hung out at, had owned a very personable personality and affinity for my favorite rapper, Jay-Z...all which drew me to him. In time, while my love of Mr. West has gone back and forth because of his actions there has never been any doubt aout his talent. Continuously puts out quality if not outstanding music. He has begun to transend beyond the hiphop world which may have become his gift and his curse.

The one thing Kanye does really well is hip hop music. He can orchestrate a scene or project feeling and emotion through the artistry of his work, which is something alot of music artists  can't even fathom. Because of this and the numerous opinions and attacks by the media and others Kanye has become very reclusive in his appearances,going so far as to even move out of the country. So with the rare chance to see Kanye's act live in person at Milwaukee's Summerfest, my decsison to see his show was a no brainer.

Again much different than a typical rap shows Kanye's stage set-up is more artistic. He doesnt have a dj and performs with ballet dancers. Opening act Kid Cudi was extremely energetic and had the crowd into his show albeit only for a brief time as he only played for about 25 minutes. Cudi performed with no ballet dancers but was easily a crowd favorite and all over Kanye's upcoming set.

After about an hour wait the booming and radiating sounds of "HAM" played over the speakers. West opened the show performing "Dark Fantasy", the opening from his latest album, from a pole in the audience. Kanye didnt just connect with the crowd he had them at his mercy all night long. Dressed in all black wearing old-school red and black AirJordans and an old school snakeskin Chicago Bulls hat, Kanye opened his show very strong with a ton of energy and confidence. Kanye wasted no time ripping into hit after hit and owning the crowd. And everything he gave the crowd gave right back. West rocked out with "Hell of a Life" and tore the house down with "Monster" before turning to Kid Cudi for some assistance.

Kanye did at one point get on his soapbox, which is fine, as he made up for it by again piling hit after energetic hit together, working the stage and sweating like a madman. Going over material from previous albums including a guest appearances (West really rocked his verse from his Katy Perry collabo "E.T.") Kanye showed his hand to the observant fan on where he got his ideas for creating the setlist and show. Listening to newer material made some songs performed from the first album sound dated. Its a trick however, his mentor Jay-Z has mastered and perfected at his shows. Jay-Z seems to pull it off effortlessly while West rocks them out like they are today's current big hits when there's a strong portion of the crowd who just werent fans back then. West also follows Jay-Z's stage manerisms to a  tee, wether it be him running all over the stage, swinging his arm and hand gestures, commanding the crowd, not necessarry rapping for them. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, however West needs to find his own stage persona and presentation, which he is highly capable of.

Kanye doesnt finish as strong as he starts but the energy and list of hits keep the crowd into it. West re-creates a cool moment of the MTV debut of his big hit "Runaway", "All of the Lights" performed with Kid Cudi whips the crowd into a near frenzy, and then....splat. While I understand the significance of the song "Hey Mama", its use of a closer takes the life out of a great concert. Or maybe I'm just being insensitive. Anyway, Kanye's how isn' t much of a show, but more of a exciting presentation to loyal fans...complete with swan-like ballet dancers.

SET-LIST

1. H.A.M intro
2. Dark Fantasy
3. Power
4. Jesus Walks
5. Can't Tell Me Nothing
6. Diamonds From Sierra Leone
7. Hell of a Life
8. Monster
9. Gorgeous
10. Erase Me with Kid Cudi
11. Make Her Say with Kid Cudi
12. Flashing Lights
13. Good Life
14. Love Lockdown
15. Say You Will
16. Heartless
17. Swagga Like Us (bit)
18. Run This Town (bit)
19. E.T. (bit)
20. Homecoming
21. Through the Wire
22. All Falls Down
23. Touch the Sky
24. Gold Digger
25. All of the Lights with Kid Cudi
26. Stronger
27. Runaway
28. Lost in the World
29. Hey Mama

How long will it be to tear down the wall? Many of you Pink Floyd fans out there would know exactly what I’m talking about. Being a Pink Floyd fan for years, I decided to check out another one of those Pink Floyd tribute acts called Echoes of Pompeii, a band from Indiana. Now if you’ve read my past reviews, you would notice I reviewed another Pink Floyd tribute act called The Pink Floyd Experience. I called them one of the best I’ve seen next to The Australian Pink Floyd Show. But to be honest with you, Echoes of Pompeii blew all these groups out of the water. Not just because they sounded just like the group, but they had a spectacular light show along with it. That’s what I think sets this group apart from the rest of them.

The show took place at the beautiful Arcada Theatre in St. Charles. The theatre, run by owner Ron Onesti, seemed like it used to be an old movie theatre, but when concerts are performed there, it looks totally different. EOP stated the set with a brooding cover of “Welcome to the Machine.” Led by lead singer Jason Andrews, with twin brother Jeremy Andrews on bass guitar and vocals, together they sounded great in harmony. Along with keyboardist/backup vocalist Rob Martinez and lead guitarist/vocalist Andy Hescher, these guys had it down pat. They next went into the whole “Dark side of the Moon”, but scattered the songs through the night. With the help of 3 nice female backup singers, Betsy, Melissa, and Nanette, the harmonies sounded a lot fuller. Especially, with Nanette, one of the backup singers, singing “Great Gig in the Sky,” she belted at the top of her lungs. The guys then played one of my favorite Pink Floyd songs, “Dogs” from the Animals album, then right into “Hey You.” All the chosen songs were played to perfection.

Along with the great songs, the guys put on an incredible light show complete with lasers. One thing that was a drawback, though, was that the guys stopped after each song, like they were a bar band just playing for fun. But that’s the thing I found out about these guys, is that they play for fun. They play as a Pink Floyd cover band on the side. Regularly, they play as a bar band. Now, I think that’s pretty cool, because it only makes you more versatile.

EOP were even playing some deep tracks by Floyd that many tribute bands choose not to do, including, “Vera,” “Bring the Boys Back Home,” and “One Slip.” The one player in the band who was the highlight of the night was Bob Frankich on saxophone. He played that saxophone like no one I've ever seen. Even adding sax into songs that didn't even have sax in it.

Mostly, it was a very enjoyable concert. Kudos to this group. Though, I have to leave one criticism, and that's to let the music flow into each other. Just an opinion. But overall, nice job guys!

It was a night of the showmen at Ravinia Thursday night with the headliner being the legendary Robert Plant, and opening for him, a Chicago-based group called JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound. Brooks and the Uptown Sound are a funk and R&B group, whose music sounds like the early days. Brooks channels Otis Redding with his vocals and moves onstage. The band had a hit single with a cover of the Wilco song “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.” The band was able to warm up the crowd so easily, getting them ready for the main act of the night. But the thing that's really enjoyable is watching them have fun while they were performing.

Robert Plant is considered one of the golden voices of rock, being the lead vocalist for Led Zeppelin.. After many years in the business, the man still has it. Thursday night Robert Plant headlined at Ravinia in Highland Park. Together with his Band of Joy, which consists of singer Patti Griffin, singer-guitarist Buddy Miller, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Darrell Scott, bassist-vocalist Byron House, and drummer-percussionist-vocalist Marco Giovino. Together they sounded great. I was kind of hesitant going into the concert, wondering what Plant was going to be singing. He played a lot of his solo stuff, which to be honest can be kind of boring. It's more roots rock. But as soon as Plant started singing early Led Zeppelin songs, the crowd went crazy!

He started with “Gallow's Pole,” followed by a very unique version of “Black Dog,” harmonizing with Griffin. Then he went into “What is and What Should Never Be.” Plant loved to have fun with the audience throughout the night, making little comments here and there. Other Zeppelin songs that were played include “Rock and Roll” and “Ramble On.” He also played music from his first solo album, Band of Joy, and Mighty ReArranger. Even though the solo stuff was a little slow for me, the man still has the looks, the moves and the voice especially for being in his 60s. By far, one of the coolest experiences to see Robert Plant singing Led Zeppelin. Overall, the concert was alright, but the Zeppelin songs were well worth the wait!

In celebration of Pride month, the About Face Theatre has launched the world premiere of The Homosexuals by local playwright Phillip Dawkins.  Dawkins weaves a familiar tale of friendship, lost loves, and how that impact helps define our current selves. It's funny, heartbreaking, and oh so relatable… even for Breeders.

The play begins with Evan, played by Patrick Andrews, sitting alone at a skating rink.  He's strikingly handsome but, for a yet to be disclosed reason, appears discontent. That is until Peter makes his appearance. Peter, aptly played by Scott Bradley, is over-the-top, can't deny his love of musicals, and is perhaps tittering on the edge of being a stereotypically flamboyant gay man. Off the bat, the two men don't appear destined to be together. In sheer moments, like a self-fulfilling prophecy, their relationship unravels leaving only questions of why and how they got to this point. Thus begins the ten-year retrospective of Evan's comical yet dramatic life since venturing out of the closet and into the big city.

Starting in the present, the play works back to a party in the year 2000. Aside from being the dawn of a new millennium, it also marked the beginning of Evan’s journey as an openly out gay man and his introduction to the people who would have the largest impact on the person he becomes in the future. Director Bonnie Metzgar brilliantly transitions between years by having the character Evan be undressed, redressed, and having him move backwards to a compilation of pop songs.

Each scene cleverly introduces a friendship while tackling certain significant aspects of being homosexual. These topics run the gamete from the incestual nature of a group of gay friends to creating one’s own definition of what a gay person should be. As the clock rewinds, the layers of Evan are peeled back exposing his insecurities with himself and his overwhelming need to be loved and feel he belongs.

Catty one-liners, insightful perspectives, and a hag (Elizabeth Ledo) I wish to emulate made this performance truly enjoyable. Simply stated, the cast delivers wit, charm, and everything that makes a production worthy of a rave review.

Presented by About Face Theatre

Regular Run: Jun 18 - Jul 24, 2011

@ Victory Gardens Biograph Theater

2433 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago

Show Type: Comedy/Drama

Box Office: 773-871-3000

On an extremely hot day, straight out of Hades, concert goers gathered for the Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tennessee as they have done for a decade now. With only a thin layer of sun block on for protection, the area in front of the stage was filled up by young people flirting with potential sunburn from hell to see a fantastic band. Grace Potter & The Nocturnals took the stage in the afternoon and shocked everyone who was watching. They were just phenomenal!

From the beginning of rock and roll music, bands have made wonderful musical creations for the world to hear. They leave their stamp of art work out for everyone to experience. With Potter's recent top ten hit "Paris (Ooh La La)" it is quite apparent that they are really going to mark the world as their territory. As time slips by, we will find that Grace Potter & The Nocturnals have a lot to offer the music appreciators of the world. They absolutely rocked the hell out of Bonnaroo.

The confident Potter is a multi instrumentalist and showed off her talent through the set list despite the unbearable heat. The group of five musicians is one of the most talented groups of the day and it doesn't appear that they will be going away for a very long time. As they work in the footsteps of artists like the Kinks and James Brown, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals musical career will be something to watch as they rise to the top. They have had an incredible start and they really should be watched closely to see what tomorrow brings.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals have played Bonnaroo several times before. They have been playing the fest consistently for a few years now. The charge of energy that comes from this band as they perform live is amazing. They have power like the Stones and know how to add in some melodic moments that may somewhat resemble a Pink Floyd style. Everything blends together among the technical guitars, thumping bass, and rumbling drums. With the talented eye candy of Grace Potter at the helm, this band is going to be just huge.

The band waved and said goodbye at the end of their set and left the audience pleased with a fantastic show. Grace Potter & The Nocturnals entertained the crowd with some good quality music. While they wowed the audience, all of their hard work could be heard within their music. It was quite clear that this group has been influenced by all the cool musicians of the 60's and 70's. Whoever they were inspired by originally, it melts down into a real good group. The mix of the musicians in this band and their influences makes this a group that would be very hard to contend with in skill and over all coolness. This group is definitely going to be leaving a lasting impression for rock bands to come.

Unfortunately, with all the heat that was present in Manchester, it was really hard to enjoy the incredible display of talent that was unfolding right before your eyes. Music fans bobbed their heads as they wiped the sweat from their brow. They were drinking anything and everything in an attempt to beat the Tennessee heat and they were losing. With temperatures in the upper nineties, it was almost impossible to enjoy anything while baking in an oven. This group would have been great to see in a cool, air conditioned environment.

After the festival was over, the rumors of a rough crowd came out. Allegations of thefts happened throughout the camp grounds. As the concert goers enjoyed the music, thieves lurked around camp sites. The happy concert goers came back to their sites only to feel violated. Over the course of the four day music festival, apparently a few bad apples helped to spoil the bunch. Very sad and heartfelt reports came out that a young lady was raped during the event. It does appear that this festival that is being referred to as a “mini Woodstock” was not all rainbows and puppy dogs.

Teenagers were running around drinking Red Bull and Monster energy drinks, as they passed their joints acting a fool. Under a tent a young man smokes a pipe of opium as two girls sit next to him holding a baby as they smoke marijuana. All sorts of drug paraphernalia was on sale at the fest promoting the use of drugs to the crowd. Skimpy clothing was a way to keep cool, but some Bonnarroo attendees chose a much freer clothing option, nothing.

Within the mix of musical acts comes a very wide demographic that was attending this show. Racist statements were made about having an artist like Little Wayne playing the same show with bands like Buffalo Springfield. Comments about “Wiggers” and “Niggers” made for a stressful time for some and were completely unnecessary.

Tickets for the 2012 Bonnarroo festival are on sale now, but there are a lot of things to consider before making a purchase. There is a huge potential for the entire weekend next year to be a gigantic heat wave as it was this year. There is a chance that concert goers could be involved in a violent crime. If you are at all worried about the heat or you are just too old and civilized, this may not be the show for you. If you do miss it, you could be foregoing a chance to see someone who is just a musical superstar like Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. They’ll leave you singing “Ooh La La La La La La La.”  

The Nocturnals

Matt Burr - Drums

Scott Tournet – Guitar, Harmonica

Catherine Popper – Bass, Vocals

Benny Yurco - Guitar, vox

As The thunderstorm rolls through to Lord Rancour’s mansion, all the guests disappear unexpectedly one by one. But did the butler do it? “Something’s Afoot,” a campy, delightful musical comedy, running at Citadel Theatre Company in Lake Forest, tells the story of 10 dinner guests, who disappear one by one. But no one knows who murdered who!

Brilliantly directed by director Wayne Mell, he allows the characters to let loose and have fun with it. Talking with Mell, he told me, “This is the first show we’re doing in a new space. We used to be in a basement of a church. But with a show like this, we needed a much bigger space.”  Tightly choreographed by Marianne Brown and wonderful music direction by Nick Sula, the show was fun to watch.

Set in 1935, the show reminded me a lot of “Clue” meets “Monty Python’s Flying Circus.” The cast blended tightly on such ensemble numbers as “Something’s Afoot,” “Suspicious,” and “Carry On.” Every actor was cast perfectly in their role including Debra Criche Mell (Miss Tweed), Dennis Murphy (Clive), and Kaitlyn Andrulis (Lettie).

The comedy relief came from Mario Mazetti, who played Lord Rancour’s nephew Nigel, and from the clumsy handyman Flint, played by Edward Kuffert. Sarah Breidenbach sounded beautiful as the naïve, but sweet Hope Langdon. Her song “You Fell Out of the Sky” was fantastic. Along with her lover Geoffrey (Christopher Davis), the two highlighted the show with their duets together.

Other great highlights of the show were Flint and Lettie’s hilarious duet “(Tiny Little) Dingy.” Other notable performances were from Ellen Phelps as Lady Grace Manley-Prowe, and Andrew J. Pond as the hysterical Col. Gillweather.

Walking into this theatre, I didn’t know what I was going to expect, but as I looked at the gorgeous set that made you feel like you were in a mansion, and the amazing special effects brought the house to life. I definitely recommend this show for anyone that loves British humor, and loves a great comedic farce. This truly lives up to that.

‘Something’s Afoot’

Citadel Theatre Company, West campus of Lake Forest High School, 300 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays with one Wednesday matinee at 1 p.m. May 18, through June 5

$35/$32 for students and seniors.

(847) 735-8554 or visit www.citadeltheatre.org.